$349 USB ‘bioshield’ taps into 5G, coronavirus conspiracy fears
Clark Stanley would be proud.
The “Rattlesnake King,” a former cowboy, made a splash at the 1893 World’s Exposition in Chicago by cutting open a live snake in front of onlookers as a promotion for “Stanley’s Snake Oil,” a liniment later found to contain no snake oil of any kind, let alone the anti-inflammatory Chinese water snake oil it might have evoked.
In Stanley’s case, only the cure was fake. The pain of his customers that he promised to relieve was likely quite real.
But the people hocking USB thumb drives as a “5GBioShield” are on another level, selling a fake cure for a fake affliction, according to reports. And it doesn’t come cheap.
As unfounded conspiracy theories abound online claiming 5G cell signals are causing the spread of the coronavirus, the device’s maker claims it “emits a large number of life force frequencies favoring a general revitalization of the body, adjusting them according to the absorption capacity of each respective individual.”
“An impenetrable shielding and harmonisation of your home and family from all harmful imbalanced electric radiation (incl. 2G 3G 4G 5G WiFi),” its website boasts.
How much for this marvel? Only 283 British pounds, or $349.
That’s pretty steep, considering cybersecurity services firm Pen Test Partners found it’s “nothing more than a £5 USB key with a sticker on it. Whether or not the sticker provides £300 worth of quantum holographic catalyzer technology we’ll leave you to decide.”
A director of Bioshield Distribution insists there’s more to the story, but she wouldn’t divulge it to the BBC.
Meanwhile, the conspiracy theories persist, apparently getting their start in January with comments a physician made to a Belgian newspaper. The story was later withdrawn and the quotes linking 5G to the coronavirus labeled “unfounded,” but “the fuse was lit,” James Temperton of Wired writes.
According to the Washington Post, some have taken the theories so seriously they’ve attacked 5G towers, prompting a government response.
“The Department of Homeland Security is preparing to advise the U.S. telecom industry on steps it can take to prevent attacks on 5G cell towers following a rash of incidents in Western Europe fueled by the false claim that the technology spreads the pathogen causing covid-19,” writes Ellen Nakashima of the Post in a May 13 report.
The 5G networks are expected to be up to 600 times faster than typical 4G ones, Wired reports, having huge implications for arenas such as artificial intelligence and telemedicine.
According to the New York Times, a Russian network, RT American, which the Times refers to as “the cat’s paw of Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin,” has pushed the conspiracy narratives. It notes, however, Putin has announced Russian 5G efforts in an optimistic tone.
“It’s economic warfare,” said Ryan Fox, chief operating officer of New Knowledge, a technology firm that tracks disinformation, according to the Times. “Russia doesn’t have a good 5G play, so it tries to undermine and discredit ours.”
The misinformation is so pervasive, it led a member of a 5G advisory committee to Glastonbury Town Council, in Britain, to praise the 5GBioShield, though he claims he wasn’t making a recommendation to buy the product, BBC reports. He does, however, feel it’s been beneficial for his family.
According to the World Health Organization, though, no shield will be necessary.
“Viruses cannot travel on radio waves/mobile networks. Covid-19 is spreading in many countries that do not have 5G mobile networks,” the WHO said.
Neil Linderman is a Tribune-Review digital producer. You can contact Neil at 724-850-1284 or nlinderman@triblive.com.
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